Teaching Children to be Gratefulby Janet Sexauer |
"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." (Clarence Budinton Kelland). Children mimic what we do, so if you want your children to be grateful for what they have, be grateful for what YOU have! Incorporate in YOUR daily conversation the things YOU are grateful for. When you visit the zoo, comment, "We are so lucky to have such a nice zoo in our city. Some children don't have a zoo in their city". When the weather is nice comment, "I am so grateful the weather is beautiful today so we can play in the yard". Make sure YOU are telling your waitress or grocery clerk "thank you" for helping you. Teach kids to send a thank you note, or make a phone call for gifts or acts of kindness. Children who are too young to write can decorate a thank you note with stickers and their name. Older kids can send emails or make a phone call. Besides acknowledging gifts, Grandparents attending grandparent' s day at school, a friend sharing their hand-me-down clothes or toys, a Girl Scout or Boy Scout leader giving their time are all acts of kindness that should be acknowledged. Kind acts, like someone letting you go ahead of them in a waiting line because they can see that you're in a hurry, car pooling your child to the soccer game or school, volunteering to be "room mom" and organizing holiday parties, field trips and activities. A simple "thank you" from your child goes a long way in acknowledging the kindness of everyday things. These simple words can change the next generation into a more appreciative, gentler, less self-centered generation going forward. When you have "down time" (dinner, riding in the car, putting to bed at night, looking for something to do), ask your child what they are grateful for. Depending on the situation, they can say it out loud, write it down (which is great to date it and save to look back on) or incorporate it into an activity by drawing a picture. Read books, watch movies, play music that teaches about being grateful. When kids see their favorite character in a book or movie acting in a certain way it makes them want to also. Books on being grateful Get the whole family involved "giving back" See the CJKidz Families Giving Back page. Seeing and doing for someone less fortunate is a sure way to make you see how blessed YOU are. If you can't take on a charitable project, take on a simple family activity like taking the bus one day rather than driving your car. Explain that waiting for the bus on a cold day makes you feel grateful for your warm car! Don't buy the kids "something" each time they go to the store. It's a sure way not to make them grateful for "anything". These items will become quickly unappreciated when they get the next new "something". Instead, take a pen and paper when you go to the store. Suggest they make a wish list of the items they want. The list should not have more than a few lines (5 or so). Tell them that you will use it as a birthday or Christmas list. Each time they go to the store they can write down what they want, but if it is over the 5 item limit, they will need to cross off something from the list to make room for the new item. This will teach them to think about what they REALLY want, prioritize and avoid impulse buying. It will also teach them patience and to be grateful when they finally get the long awaited item. Teach kids about money and saving for things they want. When kids put their own time and sweat equity into saving up for what they want, it will certainly help them think about whether the item is worth their hard work and grateful when they have saved enough to buy it. See Books about money and cool banks for kids Have kids do age appropriate chores. Telling your kids how hard it is to do laundry, cook, clean, rake leaves is a lot different than actually letting the kids do it themselves. They will see how much time and energy is involved in the upkeep of the house and hopefully appreciate and be more grateful for the hard work parents do! When they do a good job on their chores, tell THEM thank you! Maybe you'll get lucky and they will tell YOU thank you! Books & tools to teach children about chores and responsibility can be found on Books on Chores and Responsibility and See Chores and Responsibility Section as well as the Cooperation Section End the night or begin the morning by telling your child how grateful you are to have THEM as your child! I love you books |